Rivendell Care & Support

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture. This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Leaders demonstrated a clear and well communicated vision focused on providing high quality, safe and compassionate care. The involvement of the directors, as well as a strong, management structure positively impacted the service. Managers showed a strong commitment to effective learning and maintaining high standards of practice throughout. This approach helped staff develop the confidence, competence and practical skills required to deliver good quality care.

The provider demonstrated strong partnership working with health and social care professionals. Staff and leaders used external learning resources to stay informed about changes to the care sector and best practice.

The provider had developed a positive culture where learning and improvement were encouraged. Incidents were reviewed and used as opportunities to reflect and make improvements, ensuring staff continued to deliver safe and consistent care. People and relatives were involved in discussions about concerns, accidents and incidents, and contributed to planning actions to help prevent future occurrences. Feedback from people and families highlighted that the provider was open, honest and willing to share learning, which helped individuals feel informed and more in control of their safety.

Overall, the service showed a well led and collaborative approach, with clear leadership direction, an inclusive culture that included the engagement, involvement and wellbeing of staff and a strong commitment to ongoing improvements

The provider had leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff reported feeling valued, supported, and treated fairly by the managers. They described the managers as both visible and readily approachable. Comments from staff included, “You get lots of gratitude, I think is always missing from other places I’ve worked. They send out a text, email to give great feedback.”

To recognise and celebrate staff achievements, the provider operated various employee appreciation schemes. One staff shared, “Our hard work does not go unnoticed as we have regular recognition awards.”

Staff spoke very positively about leaders, describing them as approachable, communicative and genuinely committed to staff welfare. Documents also showed a clear whistleblowing policy was in place, supporting transparency and enabling staff to speak up without fear.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.An example of this was completing individual Ramadan risk assessments with Muslim staff to identify any potential risks associated with fasting, such as dehydration, fatigue, lone working, medication requirements or physically demanding care calls.

Leaders implemented a range of wellbeing, employee assistance programmes and recognition initiatives such as rewarding excellence in practice which maintained morale and strengthened trust. Staff told us these measures strengthened trust and made them feel appreciated.

Overall, the provider displayed leadership in equality, diversity and inclusion, creating a workplace where staff from all backgrounds felt respected, supported and empowered to deliver high quality care.

Staff told us they felt their individual needs wererespected and supported. Staff told us they were treated fairly and had no concerns about how they were supported or managed. The provider made reasonable adjustments whererequiredand worked to ensure staff were treated fairly.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment, and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance, and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. Governance systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The provider completed a programme of regular audits, including checks of people’s care records, medicines management, risk assessments, staff training, safeguarding, and incidents. These audits helped to identify any areas requiring improvement or where practice had fallen short. Where issues were identified, appropriate action was taken to address this. Lessons learned were used to improve practice and reduce the risk of similar occurrences in the future.

Business continuity plans were in place to support the service in the event of an unforeseen incident or emergency. These plans provided clear guidance on how the provider would manage disruption and maintain the safe running, continuity, and sustainability of the service. The plans helped to ensure people continued to receive care and support with minimal disruption during adverse events.

The provider had a clear management structure. Staff understood their roles,responsibilitiesand lines of accountability. Managementmaintainedeffective oversight of theday‑to‑dayrunning of the service, ensuring safe,person‑centredandwell‑coordinatedcare.

The provider worked collaboratively with external professionals, ensuring coordinated, joined‑up care. Documents showed clear communication with multidisciplinary teams and evidence that needs were reassessed and shared when people moved between services. This supported continuity and helped ensure people received coordinated, safe care across services.

Although no formal feedback had been received from external professionals, care records showed that the provider engaged effectively with partner organisations and worked collaboratively to support people’s care.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome, and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. Systems were in place to support learning, development and continuous improvement across the service. The provider told us they welcomed feedback and viewed it as an opportunity to identify areas for improvement. They promoted a culture of openness, honesty and learning from mistakes, helping to ensure lessons were identified and shared. There was a clear understanding among the management team of the importance of being open and transparent when things went wrong, in line with the principles of duty of candour.